Wrench.



PATENTED JAN. 28, 1908.

. J. E. GLAUNCH.

WRENCH. APPLIOATION rum) JUNE 17, 1901.

zlll' l l atioznua THE Mamas PETERS co., wAsinnaroN, o c.

wrench which, when once applied to a nut or JAMES EDWARD OLAUNGH,

OF COLLINS, MISSISSIPPI.

WRENCH.

' Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 28, 1908.

Application filed June 17. 1907. Serial No. 379.459?

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, JAMEs EDWARD CLAUNOH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Collins, in the county of Covington j and State of Mississippi, have invented certain I new and useful Improvements in IVrenches, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to improvements in wrenches, and consists of the novel construction and the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

The object of the invention is to provide a monkey wrench with an automatic adjustment for its movable jaw, whereby the device may be used as an ordinary ratchet bolt head need not be removed from the same until the work is completed.

The above and other objects are attained in the preferred embodiment of my invention, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through the wrench; Figs. 2 and 3 are detail transverse sections taken respectively on the planes in dicated by the lines 22 and 33 in Fig. 1 and Fig. 4 is a detail perspective of the supporting plate for the lower end of the spring.

In the drawings, 1 denotes the stationary jaw of the wrench formed upon one end of a shank 2 which has its other end secured by rivets or the like 3 in the upper portion of a casing 4. This casing or body 4 of the wrench may be of any suitable form and construction, but I preferably make it of a piece of metal by bending the same into substantially U-form, asshown in Figs. 2 and 3, so as to provide two side plates 5, 6 and a connecting back plate or portion 7. The casing 4 is preferably of gradually increasing width lrom its upper to its lower end and its open side is closed by a spacing bar 8 which is secured by rivets or the like 9 between the side plates 5, 6 adjacent to their edges. The lower end of the bar 8 is extended'beyond the casing and is shaped to provide a handle 10.

The bar 8 is arranged parallel with the shank 2 but is spaced therefrom to receive the] shank 11 of the movable jaw 12 of the Wrench. The jaw 12 is formedupon'its inner side with two loops or eyes 13 which surround and slide upon the shank 2, and upon the inner face of the shank 11 at its lower end is formed a rack 14, the teeth of which are angular or \I shaped. The movable wrench jaw is projected to its normal closed position by a coil spring 1.5 arranged in the casing 4 and confined between the lower end of the shank 11 and a right angular supporting plate 16. The upper end of said spring surrounds and is held in position by a pin or stud 17 formed upon the lower end of the shank 11, while the lower end of the spring bears against the short horizontal arm of the plate 16. On the long or vertical arm of said plate is formed an integral stud or projection 18 adapted to enter an aperture 19 formed in the side plate 6 of the casing. This stud 18 serves to retain the plate 16 in the casing between the sides 5, 6, and it is prevented from slipping or turning and the outer edge of its horizontal portion or arm is held against the inner face of the bar 8 by a transverse rivetor the like 20 connecting said plates. Arranged in the lower end of the casing beneath or in longitudinal alinement with the shank 2 is a lever 21 having its upper end pivoted at 22 and its lower end which projects out of the bottom of the casing, provided with a suitable handle 23.

The lever is adapted to swing in the casing and upon one of its sides is a claw or dog. consisting, perferably, of a plurality of teeth 24 similar to the rack teeth 14 which they are adapted to engage for the the slidable jaw 12. In the inner faces of the jaws 1, 12 of the wrench I preferably form transversely extending and oppositely disposed V-shaped notches or grooves 25 adapted to receive the corners of nuts, bolt heads and the like.

The operation and advantages of my improved wrench will be readily understood. The spring 15 holds the sliding jaw 12 normally in its closed position against the stationary jaw l, and when it is desired to rotate a nut or the like, the handle 23 is swung outwardly to its dotted line position shown in Fig. 1 so that its teeth 24 disengage the rack 14, and the jaw 2 is then forced downwardly to permit of the insertion of the nut between the jaws. When the sliding jaw 2 is released the spring 15 projects the latter outwardly or upwardly and causes it to adjust itself upon the nut; and said jaw may then be rigidly locked by swinging the handle 23 inwardly so that its teeth 24 engage the rack 14, as shown in full lines in Fig. 1. When the parts are in this position and both of the handles 10, 23 are grasped the sliding purpose of locking.

jaw will be held stationary-so that the nut cannot slip. Owing to the action of the spring 15 uplon the movable jaw it will be seen that t e latter will be pressed constantly against the nut and that when the handle 23 is swung outwardly to release the rack 14-, said jaw is permitted to slide backwardly or inwardly when the wrench is swung in a backward direction and thus the jaws are permitted to take a fresh grip upon the nut without removing them from the same. This construction therefore enables the wrench to be used as an ordinary ratchet wrench-since when'it is swung in a forward direction the jaws are locked rigidly upon the nut and when swung in a rearward direction they are permitted to-slip aroundthe nut so as to take a fresh grip upon the same.

' The provision of the notches 25 in the opposing faces of the jaws permits the nut to be engaged by its corners.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent'is:

1. A wrench comprising a body or casing, a handle projecting from one end of the same, a stationary jaw having a shank fixed in the op osite end of said casing, a movable jaw to slide upon said shank and provided with a shank to enter said casing andformed upon its inner face with a rack, a spring for projecting thesliding jaw to its closed posieases tion and a lever arranged in longitudinal said plates and having one end projecting to form a handle, astationary j awhaving'a shank projecting into and secured in the other end of said casing and spaced from said-bar, a-=movable-j aw to slide upons'aid' shank andhaving a shank to'slide-in said casingand formedupon-its innenfacewith a rack, acoil' spring arranged inthe casing and engaged-with the'inner end of theshank of V the sliding jaw to'proje'ot the latter: to its closed position and a-lever'arranged-indongitudinal alinemen't with the shankofthe stationary jaw and pivoted for swinging movement in said casing, said lever having at its outer endahandle andat itsvinner and upper end teeth to engage said rack, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES EDWARD CLAUNOHQ Witnesses:

B. D. ROGERS, L. E. BRANSFORD: 

